CJC was in attendance last month at the annual Tradewinds Ship Recycling Forum in Hong Kong. London-based director, Kate Law, attended the conference, which coincided with Hong Kong Maritime Week. More than 250 attendees from across the industry convened to network and consider the pressing issues currently facing the industry.

Staging the Tradewinds Ship Recycling Forum 2025 in Hong Kong was fitting given the entry in to force in June of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. The implementation of the Convention formed one of the key topics of discussion during the event, alongside the issue of its interaction with the Basel Convention on hazardous waste. Another hot topic under debate was the issue of the “dark fleet” and recycling of these vessels. The general consensus was that the ship recycling market will pick up significantly in the coming years, in particular with an aging global fleet and increased challenges from decarbonisation and emissions regulation on these older vessels, although there was a hesitancy to suggest the exact time frame for this expected surge.

Kate forms part of the regulatory team at CJC, which advises on various regulatory matters, including ship recycling and sanctions. CJC advises many sectors of the recycling industry on all elements from assisting with S&P transactions and the drafting of MOAs for recycling, to sanctions and regulatory compliance advisory through to dealing with disputes when things go wrong. If you have any queries or require assistance on such matters, please contact Kate or another member of the team to discuss.